Container closure



May 30, 1939. I v W. T. PARKYINI v 2,159,978

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed July 30, 1958 a. container having; a-;- closure -"constru Patented May 30, 1939 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSURE Winfred T. Parkin, Providence, R. I.

Application July 30,1938, Serial No. 222,249

6 Claims. (01. 221-62) This invention relates to container closures such, for example, as are used on cans, bottles, tubes and the like receptacles for holding powder or other materials to be dispensed in small quan- -tities. 1 I

' :.The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a closure which may be easily =manipulatedto control or vary the flow through the outlet, and which is so constructed and ar- -10 ranged as to provide an eifective seal for the outlet when in closed position so that there is no danger of the material accidentally leaking out, at-least to any objectionable extent,'when the container is not in use; and to provide a 15 closure which is of simple; design and of pleasing and attractive appearance, which is of economical construction having-a minimum number of parts, and which is inexpensiveto manufacture, easy to use.

'tovarious features of sideration oi? the ol I accompanying jdr ai' .wherein rspective view-showi g cordancewith ;-:the present invention; I Figs. 2 -and 3 areenl r'g'ed sections' on the lines:

2--2 and 3- -e3, respectively, of Fig. 1;;

.Flgi' i is'a perspective 'viewfofa shutter;

30' Fig.5 is a'section'on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 4;;

l Fig.' 6 is a .top planview of a closure of modified construction;

,- I I I Figs. ,Zand 8 are sections on the'lines fl'- -'l and 8'8, respectively, of Fig. 6; I e I I 35 Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the shutter em bodied in the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8':

I bodied in the construction shown in Figs. 11 to 4a 13. I I I I The embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises a shell-like member which may be of metal,

Celluloid or the like material-capable of being worked and of receiving and retaining an atf 50 tractive finish.- The shell-like member is formed with a substantially flat top wall I and an integral depending cylindrical skirt 2 adapted to fit about 4 the neck or mouth of a container or like receptacle 3 (Fig. 1). The top wall 'I is formed with '55- an outlet passage 5 and a slot or'opening. 6 adwins 2 des r rt p an e f Fig. 10 is a section on the line Ill-'40 of lil f Fig. ll'is a top plan view er afurther inocliflcajoining the passage 5, and the side wall 2 is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly struck parts which define relatively straight wide wall portions 8 and 9. The side wall portions 8 and 9 are provided with' inwardly extend- 5 ing beads or ribs I and II located adjacent to the underside of the top wall I so as to define therewith oppositely disposed straight grooves l2 and I3, as shown in Fig. 3. The ribs I0 and II adjoin similar ribs or beads I and I6 (Fig. 2) formed in the skirt 2 between the ends of the ribs I0 and II, the ribs l5 and I6 defining curved grooves I1 and I8 which adjoin the ends of the straight grooves I2 and I3.

A shutter 20 (Figs. 4 and 5) fits against the underside of the top wall I and is slidably supported so as to move back and forth to close the outlet passage 5. The shutter consists of a piece of resilient sheet material of arcuate cross section and is formed with straight edges 2| and 22 which snugly fit into the grooves I2 and I3, and with curved ends 23 and 24 adapted to fit the grooves and I8, respectively. The ribs Ill and II thus-provide guides which are efiective slid- Since the shutter 20 is normally of arcuate cross section, and since its body portion is held flexed andflattened when in assembled relation with the shell or cap, there is sufficient frictional resistance or drag to prevent the shutter from accidentally sliding back and forth.

I The material of which the shutter is made may be sheet metal, or sheet Celluloid, or other suitable composition. An advantage 'of Celluloid or equivalent non-metallic material is that it will not corrode. The shutter may be colored; for example, it may be made of red sheet celluloid or 40 of some color contrasting with the color of the shell which when exposed through the dispensing apertures'signals that the shutter is closed.

In order to move the shutter to and from closed position, it is provided with an upstanding part 25 which may be struck out from or formed in tegral with its body portion, or otherwise at tached to the body, the part 25 providing an actuating piece which extends outwardly through the slot 6 in the top wall I, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The parts of the closure are so constructed .and arranged that when the shutter 20' is in when the actuating member 25 ismoved along the'slot to open position, the curved edge 24 of the shutter is disposed in the groove l8 and its opposite edge 23 is positioned adjacent to or inwardly of the inner edge of the outlet opening 5.

By having the ends 23 and 24 fit into the grooves l1 and I8 in the two extreme positions of the shutter, support for theshutter is provided to resist its being bent or sprung downwardly by downward pressure on the actuating member 25, especially when the shutter is in closed position.

In assembling the parts, one of the straight edges of 1 e shutter is first positioned in one of the'gr ves 12 or l3, with the actuating piece aligned with either the outlet passage 5 or.

to lie substantially fiat against the underside of the wall I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and when thus positioned the resulting frictional engagement is efiective to prevent an unrestrained free- 'dom of movement of the shutter.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 6 to 10 is substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 5,

and the same reference characters are applied to like parts. In this embodiment the shutter 20 is provided with an actuating member 26 which is riveted or otherwise secured in position after the shutter has been assembled within the shell. an annular shoulder 21 which rides on the marginal portions about the outlet 5 and slot 6, thus cooperating with'the ribs Ill and II in holding the shutter in position and at all times preventing it from being sprung downwardly by downward pressure on the knob 26.

In all of the embodiments herein shown the closure consists essentially of only two pieces, the shell and the shutter, or at most, of three pieces. if the actuating member is formed separately, and is therefore very economical to manufacture and to assemble.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 11 to 14 is similar in niany particulars to the previously described embodiments, and the same or similar reference characters are applied to corresponding parts. In this embodiment the top wall i is formed with a plurality of spaced apertures or outlet passages 5 which extend about a central opening or-slot 6, all other parts of the shell being the same as in the previously described embodiments. The shutter 20 is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures (Fig. 14) corresponding in size and location to those in the top wall I and extending about the centrally disposed actuating member 25 which is so positioned that when the parts are in assembled relation it projects through the opening 6 The construction and arrangement of these partsiar'e such that when the actuating member 25 is at or adjacent to one end of the opening 6, as shown in Figs. 11 to 13, the apertures in the shutter and top wall are relatively.

oifset, and when the actuating member 25 is moved to the opposite end of the opening 6, the apertures are brought into alignment, intermedi- The actuating member 26 is formed with ate positions of the actuating member and shutter being effective partially to close theoutlet passages or apertures 5 It will be noted that a closure constructed in accordance with the present invention may be easily operated by the thumb or fingers of the .hand holding the container, and that the closure may be adjusted so as to regulate the fiow of material through the outlet,ithe frictional engagement between the shutter and top wall being effective to hold the shutter in'any position of adjustment.

Although the closures above described aredesirable embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may-be madi without departing fromthe spirit and scope oil. the inventifi'n as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

. l. A container closure comprising a shell-like member having a substantially fiat top wall provided'with an outlet passage ,:'and .a depending side-wall formed with inwardly projecting straight ribs adjacent to the underside of said top wall and defining therewith a pair of oppositely disposed grooves, and ashutter made of sheet Celluloid of a color contrasting with the color of the shell fitting against the underside 30f said top wall with its opposite edges slidably mounted in said grooves, said shutter having an actuating member projecting through an' opening in said shell.

2. A container closure comprising a shell-like member having a top wall and a depending side wall, the top wall having an outlet passage and i the side wall having spaced inwardly extending ribs adjacent to the underside of said top wall and defining therewith spaced grooves, and a shutter fitting against the underside'of saidtop wall with opposite edges mounted in said grooves so that said shutter is slidable back and forth to open and close said outlet passage, said shutter being formed of resilient sheet material and prior to assembly with said shell-like member being of arcuate cross section, but when in assembled relation with said shell-like member being flexed and held resiliently pressed closely against the underside of said top wall, thereby to provide a substantially powder-tight closure which frictionally opposes back and forth movement.

3..A container closure comprising a shell-like member having a top wall and a depending side wall, the top wall having an outlet passage and the side wall having spaced inwardly extending ribs adjacent to the underside of, said top wall and defining therewith spaced grooves, and a shutter fitting against the underside of said top wall with opposite edgesmountedin said grooves so that said shutter is slidable back and forth to open and close said outlet passage, said shutter awaevo terial and being yieldingly held closely against the" underside of said top wall.

4. A container closure comprising a shell-like member having a top wall and a depending side wall, the top wall having an outlet passage and the side wall having spaced inwardly extending ribs adjacent to the underside of said top wall and defining therewith spaced grooves, and a shutter fitting against the underside of said top -wall with opposite edges mounted in said grooves so that said shutter is slidable back and forth to open and close said outlet passage, said shutter consisting of Celluloid and being yieldingly held closely against the underside 01 said top wall.

5. A container closure comprising a shell-like member having a top wall formed with an outlet passage and an elongate slot, a depending side wall formed with inwardly projecting ribs adiacent to the underside of said top wall and defln ing therewith a. pair of oppositely disposed grooves, a shutter fitting against the underside of said top wall with op s te edges slidably mounted in said grooves, and an actuating member carried by said shutter and extending outwardly through said, slot, said actuating member being formed adjacent to its lower end with a shoulder engageable with the marginal portions at opposite sides of said slot.

6. A container closure comprising a top wall having an outlet opening. a depending side wall adapted to be attached to the top of a container, a, shutter having an outlet opening, means integral with said side wall and cooperating with said top wall for holding said shutter closely against the under surface of said top wall so that said shutter may be moved to bring the outlet openings into and out of registry, and actuating means integral with said shutter for moving it to own d closed position, said shutter being composed of plastic material which does not corrode and stick and which is of a color contrasting with that oi the top and side walls. 

